The NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, ratified in 2020, outlines all procedures for player punishment, including how fines are determined and where that money goes.
The CBA even accounts for inflation, with the minimum fines automatically rising 3% each league year.
After every Monday during the 2026 regular season, Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of policy and rules administration, and league office assistants pore over game film for potential rule violations before using CBA guidelines to determine subsequent disciplinary action. Then, the NFL notifies players of its decisions and makes the results of its findings public, typically the following Saturday afternoon. Players hold the right to appeal their punishments.
The NFL assesses fines for six categories of misconduct:
Offense against a game official
